Russian Orthodox Church admits doctoring Patriarch photograph

The Russian Orthodox Church has admitted it doctored a photograph of Patriarch Kirill on its website to erase his expensive watch, after bloggers highlighted the efforts.

Patriarch Kirill (right) with Russia's Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov in 2009 with and without the watchPhoto: patriarchia.ru

1:47PM BST 05 Apr 2012

The picture in question shows the patriarch sitting at a polished wooden table with Russia's Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov in 2009.

While his wrist appears to be covered with a black tunic, a reflection on the table reveals a fancy watch.

"Employees of the press office's photo department have made an absurd mistake while working with the photo archive on the website," a statement circulated by the patriarch's press service said.

"Why a crude violation of our ethics was committed is something that will be carefully investigated, and the guilty will be severely punished."

"They have completely lost their minds in the Russian Orthodox Church," wrote Vadim Petrichenko, a blogger who was the first to find the doctored photo and put it on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening.

The photos were replaced with the original undoctored version Thursday.

Patriarch Kirill's watch has been a subject of controversy ever since he wore it on a visit to Ukraine in 2009. Perceptive observers identified the model as a Breguet, which costs about 30,000 euros.

The patriarch last week denied that he wears such a watch and called any photo evidence a collage.

The church is currently suffering through a public-relations nightmare after several of its high-ranking members voiced support for harsh punishment of punk rockers Pussy Riot, who performed an anti-Putin song inside Russia's main cathedral.

The Church has enjoyed an unprecedented growth of wealth and political power over the last decade, with the Russian government ruling to hand back much of its property that was confiscated during Soviet times.

But Russians have increasingly criticised its leadership for allying too closely to Putin and his party, as well as having a lifestyle that is inappropriately wealthy.